Scam uses bogus jury duty calls to get financial information

State court officials have issued a warning about a scam involving bogus jury duty calls and are advising Hoosiers who have received such calls to notify local police.

In a statement issued today, the Division of State Court Administration and Indiana Judicial Center reported several trial courts have alerted them to the scam.

“There have only been a few incidents,” the statement said, “but court leaders are alerting the public in the abundance of caution.”

Judges in Hamilton and Henry counties “recently learned residents received similar phone calls making false claims about missed jury service,” the statement said. “The caller accused the individual of failing to appear for jury duty and offered ways to resolve the situation by appearing in court or providing financial information to pay a fine.”

Court officials said they are “not aware of anyone who has been harmed by revealing personal financial information.”

All initial contact with potential jurors in Indiana, the statement said, “is conducted in writing through the mail.”

If a person fails to appear for jury duty, a judge has several options, which range from sending the sheriff to bring an individual to court to issuing an order of contempt and requiring the individual to pay a fine.

However, the court statement said, such actions are not conducted over the phone.